An experimental study on measurement and evaluation of IPTV video quality

In an IPTV distribution network, the traditional network performance metrics such as packet loss and delay jitter may not illustrate video quality directly, but they can reflect the performance of IPTV service in a way. By introducing the evaluation method for quality of IPTV video, we analyze the measurement data collected from an IPTV experimental network. The results show the strong correlation between network performance metrics and Media Delivery Index (MDI) which is widely-adopted in the evaluation of video quality. This paper discusses the effect of packet loss and delay jitter variances on MDI components, Delay Factor (DF) and Media Loss Rate (MLR) in detail. Meanwhile we carry out an experimental study of user subjective evaluation for IPTV video quality. Based on the data derived, this paper points out the thresholds for packet loss and delay jitter, under which network condition users may achieve an acceptable IPTV video quality.